[anujmishra]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Sigh. You can not let your guard down ever. You can not sit back and enjoy a drive without a care. Better to drive with the ac on and windows rolled up, all the time. That is a lesson for me and warning for others.

I faced only one incident like these which I reported here 1 year back. Two guys coming behind me from both the side of car and one of them making loud noise towards me and I think he was asking me to stop. It was around mid-night. Not much traffic was there on road. It happened betweek KR Puram and Whitefield. Left guy was making sound and right side guy was trying to overtake me and want to come infront of me. I realized quickly and gave a nice scary moment to right side guy and sped away.

This was clear mugging attempt with me. I always drive with window rolled up, whether it is day time or night time.

[Tempelhof]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Better to drive with the ac on and windows rolled up, all the time. That is a lesson for me and warning for others.

Knowingly or unknowingly I have been driving only with AC ON and windows fully rolled up for the last 8 years - in fact, in all these 8 years, I must have driven with windows down only for a few seconds.

Now, last Saturday, on the ITPL road at about 1300 hours, when I was going from the ITPL side towards Hoodi, three well-dressed guys came on a scooter (all the three of them on a scooter - none wearing helmet) tried to shout and say something to me - I didn't even look at them and kept driving till I reached home (near Rajpalya).

Nothing had happened to my car - could be a distracting attempt.

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by anujmishra

I faced only one incident like these which I reported here 1 year back. Two guys coming behind me from both the side of car and one of them making loud noise towards me and I think he was asking me to stop. It was around mid-night. Not much traffic was there on road. It happened betweek KR Puram and Whitefield. Left guy was making sound and right side guy was trying to overtake me and want to come infront of me. I realized quickly and gave a nice scary moment to right side guy and sped away.

This was clear mugging attempt with me. I always drive with window rolled up, whether it is day time or night time.

Might I ask how you scared the right side guy? Did you let the turbo spool up and let the guy have all the diesel fumes?

But yes it was surely a mugging attempt.

Originally Posted by Tempelhof

Knowingly or unknowingly I have been driving only with AC ON and windows fully rolled up for the last 8 years - in fact, in all these 8 years, I must have driven with windows down only for a few seconds.

Now, last Saturday, on the ITPL road at about 1300 hours, when I was going from the ITPL side towards Hoodi, three well-dressed guys came on a scooter (all the three of them on a scooter - none wearing helmet) tried to shout and say something to me - I didn't even look at them and kept driving till I reached home (near Rajpalya).

Nothing had happened to my car - could be a distracting attempt.

Well hats of to you for being disciplined when it comes to driving with windows rolled up all these years. I need to practise this after reading this thread.

[grazd]

This is a pretty eye opening thread for me. pretty sad to hear all the experiences that folks have had to go thru.
For those who carry pepper spray, how long can you store it before it expires and you need to get a new one? (or is it like a fire extinguisher that you can recharge periodically?) Also has anyone ever used one/seen it in action? How effective are they in real life (I have read the specs, was just wondering if anyone has seen it in action).

[anujmishra]

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Might I ask how you scared the right side guy? Did you let the turbo spool up and let the guy have all the diesel fumes?
But yes it was surely a mugging attempt.

Yes, infact had to swerve little right my car to reduce the gap between right side guy and car. I pushed him extreme right of road just besides median and he slowed down. You can use other word from vocabulary (cut). Left side guy was making loud noise. Right side guy were in old RX - 100 or 125. They somehow wanted me to stop so that they would start their operation. I sped away immediately from the place and they came behind for some time and returned back.

My wife and kid were also there in car and I was returning from Yelhanka to Whitefield around 11:50 PM.

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by anujmishra

Yes, infact had to swerve little right my car to reduce the gap between right side guy and car. I pushed him extreme right of road just besides median and he slowed down. You can use other word from vocabulary (cut). Left side guy was making loud noise. Right side guy were in old RX - 100 or 125. They somehow wanted me to stop so that they would start their operation. I sped away immediately from the place and they came behind for some time and returned back.

My wife and kid were also there in car and I was returning from Yelhanka to Whitefield around 11:50 PM.

Guessed that was the manuver that you did, after reading your account, I stopped using the bike in the evenings, making a point to use the car with all Windows rolled up and doors locked. One good thing about Tata autolock is the doors dont unlock if you just switch off the engine at traffic

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by amitoj

I fell prey to the oldest trick in the world. I have never kept my phone on the front seat, until today. And that's when the crooks struck. I was at the St John's traffic light, and had just started moving when i heard a bang on the right side. Instinctively looked out, to see a man retrieving his slipper from under my car. I moved on, and realized that I have been duped only when my GPS said "connection to phone lost" , close to Sukh Sagar.

I was witness to a similar mugging event many years back. Was riding back home after night shift at work and it was peak hour time in the morning (rush hour) and traffic was piled up on hosur road. Saw two guys moving around the stopped cars (scanning for victims) and one of them grabbed a cell phone from one car (must have been on the dash) just as the lights changed and cars started moving. There was nothing the driver could do. He had a passenger but by the time they realized they were mugged, the thief had crossed the road and had run into the bylane.

Sorry to read about your loss Amitoj. Hopefully the cost of the phone was not much. An FIR should hopefully help in recovering the cost of the phone if it was insured against theft.

Even today, i see people driving with windows open and phones/laptops lying on the seat and valuables such as wallets on the dash. If i am able to warn them i do and they realize the vulnerability.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Flicking something from your car in broad daylight and dense traffic area like the St john signal is really daring and got to be difficult for the thieves. Can't someone, on seeing a stranger appear from nowhere and flick your phone, shout or honk which would surely make the miscreant panic.

Most of the time, its not a one-man con job. There will always be a second or third person watching and looking around to ensure the braveheart doesn't get caught (and beaten to a pulp).

And honking does not help. Everybody honks for no reason whatsoever. How does one figure out if it was to alert a theft or to move since the lights went green?

Better safe than sorry Doc.

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

One of my acquaintances lost his laptop while in the car near the signal recently. Unfortunately he did pay the price for the auto unlock feature on his car and forgot to lock it again when he turned off the engine at the signal.

Originally Posted by animdas

Only i get worried at the petrol pump, because I keep my laptop behind my seat on the car floor, and petrol pump is the only place where sometimes I unlock all doors.

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Even today, i see people driving with windows open and phones/laptops lying on the seat and valuables such as wallets on the dash. If i am able to warn them i do and they realize the vulnerability.

The best place to keep the laptop, or for that matter any valuables (except mobile phones though!), is the boot. Even for the hatchbacks, it is a place that is least expected by the thieves and hard to notice. Even if they find out, its impossible to flick from a moving vehicle. I have made a habit storing my laptop in the boot while commuting to office and back.

[joslicx]

Best is to keep windows up and doors locked! Added advantage is your interiors dont get dirty and neither will you yourself.

[animdas]

Originally Posted by bejoy

The best place to keep the laptop, or for that matter any valuables (except mobile phones though!), is the boot.

My car (Cruze) keyfob, unfortunately, is designed without a OFF/disable switch. I keep the key in my trouser pockets. (And, it is keyless operation for Cruze) Occasionally it happened that, due to some pressure, the 'Open boot' button gets pressed and boot got opened in busy roads. Fortunately, everytime, it was in weekend and wifey could manage to go out and shut the boot.

Then onwards, I am scared to keep laptop in the boot!

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by animdas

My car (Cruze) keyfob, unfortunately, is designed without a OFF/disable switch. I keep the key in my trouser pockets. (And, it is keyless operation for Cruze) Occasionally it happened that, due to some pressure, the 'Open boot' button gets pressed and boot got opened in busy roads. Fortunately, everytime, it was in weekend and wifey could manage to go out and shut the boot.

Then onwards, I am scared to keep laptop in the boot!

Hi, I have a Cruze LT (without keyless operation) and my boot refuses to open (using the keyfob) when the engine is on i.e. when the key is actually being used in the ignition hole. I think its a good safety mechanism so that the boot does not accidentally open.

However, if I understand correctly, as the LTZ has keyless operation, this control is not built-in and hence your concern. My question is that if your doors auto-lock at around 20 km/hr, the boot should also lock and thus over-ride your keyfob. Is this not the case?

Logically, when the engine is on and the doors have been auto/manually locked, the keyfob should not be the primary reason for the boot opening.

[rahul_sinha]

Originally Posted by animdas

My car (Cruze) keyfob, unfortunately, is designed without a OFF/disable switch. I keep the key in my trouser pockets.

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Logically, when the engine is on and the doors have been auto/manually locked, the keyfob should not be the primary reason for the boot opening.

The keyfob is provided with a small leather case. I too keep the keyfob (with the case) in my trouser pocket, but the boot has NEVER been opened, as long as it is inside the case. As a precaution, whenever I switch off the engine at traffic signal, I lock the doors manually, as a safety measure.

[racer_m]

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Guessed that was the manuver that you did, after reading your account, I stopped using the bike in the evenings, making a point to use the car with all Windows rolled up and doors locked. One good thing about Tata autolock is the doors dont unlock if you just switch off the engine at traffic

I do hope the locks unlock automatically when the engine dies out even when you do not turn off with the key. This will be useful in case of an accident. If that is the case then its a very useful feature.

I have specifically stopped turning of my car nowadays even at long signal junctions due to the fact that the doors get unlocked

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by rahul_sinha

As a precaution, whenever I switch off the engine at traffic signal, I lock the doors manually, as a safety measure.

Slightly off-topic, does your Cruze doors automatically unlock when you switch off your engine? Mine does NOT which I find a good safety feature in Mugguluru .

However, my Getz and earlier Indica did so and I have trained all my drivers to immediately manually re-lock the central locking on the driver door. This was more due to my hyperactive kids rather than muggers.

Do clarify this. Other Cruze owners?

[rahul_sinha]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Slightly off-topic, does your Cruze doors automatically unlock when you switch off your engine? Mine does NOT which I find a good safety feature in Mugguluru .

However, my Getz and earlier Indica did so and I have trained all my drivers to immediately manually re-lock the central locking on the driver door. This was more due to my hyperactive kids rather than muggers.

Do clarify this. Other Cruze owners?

Still,
Yes, all doors automatically unlock when I switch off the engine, which is a deterrent either in Mugguluru or Guntha-Pune

More than being sarcastic about any particular place, some safety precautions have to be taken most of the time - I guess more on highways than within cities.